Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 on a prosperous family farm in Dearborn, Michigan. Young Henry was fascinated with mechanics and machinery, a remarkable characteristic which later determined his life.

As a young man Louis Chevrolet learned the basic principles of mechanics by watching his father, a watchmaker at work. Famous race car driver and automotive engineer later founded one of the industry giants.

Although David Dunbar Buick was born in Arbroath, Scotland, his family moved to the United States in 1856. Following the market trend of the era, Buick began experimenting with the internal combustion engine in 1890s.

Henry Martyn Leland is often referred as the founder of Cadillac. He was one of the most respected engineers in the early development of automobile industry, who left a lasting impression and unfortunately did so at a very high price.

Called "Billy" for most of his life William C. Durant dropped out of high school to work in his grandfather's lumber business. As a master speculator and investor, he formed the foundation on which American automobile industry developed.

Not many people know the story of two brothers left a giant mark on the early US automobile industry. John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge were world famous automobile manufacturers, the founders of the Dodge Brothers Company.

Walter P. Chrysler was a self-taught, intuitive engineer with a great passion for machinery. He entered the automobile industry at the age of 36, through General Motors, and later built his own Chrysler Corporation.